1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser depilation apparatus for performing depilation or hair removal on a skin with a laser beam.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, there has been known laser depilation in which a laser beam is irradiated to hair roots or hair papillae in a shaved skin in order to cauterize them for depilation. The hair roots, hair papillae, and hair follicles that are the peripheries of the hair roots and papillae contain a larger amount of melanin than the surrounding epidermis. Laser light of wavelengths likely to be absorbed into melanin is irradiated, and resultant heat energy is temporarily accumulated in the melanin and then radiated to the hair roots and papillae. The hair roots and papillae are thus cauterized.
However, a conventional laser depilation apparatus is configured such that a laser beam whose diameters range from 10 to 20 mm is irradiated to a skin portion to be depilated. All the hair roots and papillae in the irradiated region are then cauterized. Since melanin contained in the epidermis also absorbs a laser beam, the epidermis in the irradiated region is greatly damaged. If the power of a laser beam or the irradiation time thereof is reduced too greatly in efforts to alleviate the damage to the epidermis, depilation may not be partly achieved or the time required for the procedure may be prolonged. This is inefficient.
The conventional laser depilation apparatus needs that, for cauterizing hair roots, the power of a laser beam, the irradiation time thereof, and other irradiation conditions are determined in consideration of a difference of the thickness of one hair root from that of another. How the irradiation conditions are determined depends largely on an operator""s experience. If the power of a laser beam is too strong or the irradiation time thereof is too long, the epidermis is damaged. In contrast, if the power of a laser beam is too weak or the irradiation time thereof is insufficient, a laser-irradiated range in the skin is not depilated reliably and efficiently.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide a laser depilation apparatus capable of alleviating the damage to epidermis of a skin and performing efficient depilation on the skin.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the purpose of the invention, there is provided a laser depilation apparatus for performing depilation on a skin by irradiating the skin with a laser beam, the apparatus including first irradiation means including a laser source for emitting a laser beam for depilation and a light delivery optical system for forming the depilation laser beam emitted from the laser source into a small spot and delivering the beam into a first predetermined range to irradiate the range; first detection means for detecting a position of a portion to be depilated within at least the first range; and control means for controlling the first irradiation means to selectively irradiate the position of the portion to be depilated with the depilation laser beam based on detection result of the first detection means.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a laser depilation apparatus for performing depilation on a skin by irradiating the skin with a laser beam, the apparatus including: first irradiation means including a laser source for emitting a laser beam for depilation and a light delivery optical system for delivering the depilation laser beam emitted from the laser source into a first predetermined range to irradiate the range; detection means for detecting thickness of a hair existing within at least the first range; irradiation condition setting means for variably setting an irradiation condition of the depilation laser beam based on detection result of the detection means; and control means for controlling the first irradiation means based on the irradiation condition set by the irradiation condition setting means.